Here's chapter 2. I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. Thank you to everyone who voted, Favorited and commented it helps a great deal. This chapter and chapter 1 initially one giant chapter, I had to split it up and then decided to make them two separate chapter.
It worked out in the end.
EDIT 05/01/19: Hello everyone, I'm sorry it's taking me so long to get chapter 10 up. I have finally moved home and am no longer living in a hotel room with my mother and Aunt meaning I'm actually getting a decent nights sleep and don't feel like a zombie.
I've added a few things into this chapter. I'll be doing it too all of the chapters. Wint3r_4016 is helping me with my spelling and I' helping him edit his story Adventures of Natur: Greyhorn, he's just posted chapter 2, even though I haven't gotten around to editing yet its a wonderful story.
If you like stories about Orcs, Elves, Dwarves and Humans then you should read his story, leave a vote and a comment to let him know what you think about it.
Chapter 1 Recap: Marlia has to write an original story, spaces out in class, Natalia tries to find out what she was writing about and then asks her about the Lady Darkling Series. Natalia invites Marlia to go the moves knowing she will ask to go to her place after.
Key:
(added description)
thoughts
[comments from future Marlia]
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Date: 13/08/18
Time: 10:00 pm - 11:28 pm
"Hello, Myra, whose responsible for the flood this time?" I questioned as Myra pushed her slime-covered hair out her face, a half-amused, a half annoyed smile on her face as she pointed up.
Of course, it was the twins, who else would it be.
"Don't know what Liz and Jack did to upset them this time. I think it was something big though. Who's your friend?" Myra answered, brushing a piece of black-green hair behind her slightly pointed ear.
Her fingers appeared to be webbed for a second but looked completely normal when I looked again.
"This is Nat. I thought they would have learned after the last time I had to talk to them about the dangers of playing with an excessive amount of water, bath bombs and electricity." I sighed, running a hand through my hair, irritated.
I tipped a handful of stones I had collected onto my palm from a bag and let Myra chose the ones she linked. I turned to look at Natalia when her grip on my arm tightened. I had no idea why she was so scared. Myra always wore gloves. There was nothing to worry about.
"Thanks, Lia. Try not to touch the walls, they're covered in some sort of slime. It doesn't seem to want to come off," Myra commented, brushing her hair out of her face and behind her ears yet again.
Myra was incredibly graceful and knew better than to touch the walls. If you did, happen to touch the walls you'd end up with ... interesting side effects, that more often than not lasted for a few days up to a few weeks if you were really unlucky.
[It was something Myra made look effortless, she had, however, told me, it was far from effortless when I asked her how she always looked so put together and tidy. It wasn't something I could ever pull off.
When I mentioned it, she just laughed and shook her head and told me I had my own charm].
"Try salt and vinegar. If you don't have a really strong chemical cleaner," Natalia offered nervously from behind me. I got the impression it had nothing to do with Myra being covered in slime. I made an effort to be friendly but was still weary and sure not to touch her skin.
"I think I do. The wall upstairs stain your clothes and make you look like a glittery rainbow," Myra mentioned and I couldn't help but sigh. It was one of those days then. Touching the walls on a particular floor would leave with some interesting side effects.
It seems the fourth floor had the "Rainbow Glitter" Walls this week. I hope, it's only temporary this time. Glitter got everywhere and was so hard to get out of fabric. Even though it was something I had gotten used to over the last nine months.
It wasn't something I particularly enjoyed.
I pulled Natalia down the hall; it had the added effect of forcing her to follow my footsteps, as she would have likely gotten something dumped on her head if she wasn't careful that would inevitably leave some interesting side effects.
I had been meaning to ask Max about the trigger steps for the last 5 months as they only ever seemed to activate when you're completely unaware of your surroundings and occasionally when new people are visiting but had never found the time.
It was annoying. It meant I had to be on high alert whenever I left my apartment. When moved in nine months ago, I had to learn where the trigger steps were. It was a long two weeks and not ones I would forget anytime soon.
In those two weeks, I had to deal with my hair changing colour depending on my mood, effectively making me a walking mood ring. The hat I wore in those two weeks really didn't go with my 'mismatched' clothes.
I liked to look at least a little presentable and not like a five-year-old who didn't understand how to dress themselves nor understood the concept of matching colours.
A map of sorts had appeared on the wall next to my door three days after I moved in. It originally showed the name (and symbols) of the apartments on my floor. I quickly discovered it was interactive and I could switch floors.
If I wrote a note for a particular room they would get the message on their own map.
[In the months following Macy's visit I learned every apartment had this map. It allowed for easy communication. I found learning the other features of the map interesting. It led to quite a bit of hilarity. Miles and Michael learning their lesson. In a rather spectacular fashion].
I found the area around the map was something like a dry erase board, except I wasn't limited to using whiteboard markers. I could use pens, pencils, felt tip pens and even permeate markers.
A wet cloth was all I needed to erase a message.
There was a basket; about the size of a fishbowl next to my door where the other tenants could leave gifts. The most common things I found in the basket were gems and other pretty stones I used to pay Eitri.
I always smiled whenever I thought about them, I have no idea why.
"Is this ... normal?" Natalia questioned shakily, pulling my hand as continued down the hall, I usually took the stairs at the other end of the hall from Myra's apartment and closer to my apartment.
"It's fairly normal. I have to be alert every morning. I could end up with only being able to wear mismatched, multicoloured clothes for two weeks or have my hair stuck in a certain hairstyle if I'm not careful where I step. It only ever seemed to happen in the morning, usually, before I've had my coffee," I replied, not understanding why Natalia was so freaked out.
I got the impression it was more than just the shock of meeting a slime-covered Myra for the first time. Something else was scaring her but I didn't know what it was. I had gotten used to and accepted the strangeness that was the Black Flower Apartment.
When we finally reached the stairs to the fourth floor I could help but stare. What the hell cause that? There was a moderate river flowing downstairs, it thankfully wasn't to be a real bother. Yet.
The flow of water was faster a little further up but the water slowed the closer it got to the stairs and was only three inches deep. I removed my shoes and socks - tying the laces together and hung them around my neck and stepped onto the stairs.
I was expecting the water to be cold, but it was ... warm? I turned and saw Natalia staring at me like a fish out of water, she blinked, shook her head and flicked her hand the way she did any time it was raining and took my hand stepped onto the stairs.
I couldn't help but stare as the water seemed to ... part around her shoes, like there, was an air bubble around them. I quickly made my way upstairs, trying to ignore the feeling of the warm water seeping through my jeans.
When we finally reached the third-floor landing I couldn't help but stare, there was water pouring from under Liz and Jack's door at a frankly alarming rate, it was a wonder there wasn't more of a flood downstairs. The water pushed at my knees as I made my way to Liz and Jack's apartment, throwing my shoes through my already open apartment door.
When we finally reached the three-floor landing I stopped, Natalia ran into my back. There was water pouring from under Liz and Jack's door at a frankly alarming rate, it was a wonder there wasn't more of a flood downstairs.
The water pushing me back as I made my way to Liz and Jack's apartment, throwing my shoes threw my already open apartment door. Not concerned about water getting into my apartment, there was ... a bubble of sorts stopping water getting in.
Not particularly concerned about any water getting in as there was . . . a bubble of sorts around my door keeping my apartment dry. I could see the stones sitting on the kitchen table. I tugged a very reluctant Natalia with me as I walked over to Liz and Jack's door.
Knocking sharply on their door and ignoring the panicked look on Natalia's face, it was clear she wanted to anywhere but there. I had to find out what Miles and Michael had done this time otherwise this floor and three below it would be flooded for the next week.
Trapping everyone who wasn't able to swim (or get down to the lobby another way. Tables were quite well). There was a dull thud and Jack cursed when something him. I wrapped my arm around Natalia's waist, sliding my wrist through the handle next to to the door.
Natalia wrapped her arm around my waist. That way we wouldn't be washing down the hall when Liz opened the door.
"Miles, I already told you to go away. You're only going to make things worse ... oh, hello Lia. You're home early. What can I do for you?" Liz snapped jerking the door open, the resulting torrent of water nearly made me lose my grip on Natalia as my feet were swept out from under me.
Liz was wearing a one-piece swimsuit, as usual, her blond hair up in a twist (a little messier than usual, likely due to her being in a rush). With her hair up, it was easy to see the three thin, white scars on either side of her neck.
Liz looked to be around 23 or 25 and was possibly one of the happiest people I had ever met, other than Natalia. I don't think anyone could be happier than Natalia. It was a wonder Liz even managed to open the door with how strong the torrent of water was.
I turned to look at Natalia when I felt her arm around my waist tighten; she had paled and was staring at Liz with wide eyes. Like she was staring at her worst fear or had just discovered something very unpleasant.
[It turns out I wasn't far off. Apparently, Natalia had a ... bad experience with some river sprites a few years before meeting me. She wouldn't go into detail but I could guess from what little she did tell me. Scare her at the very least and down her at the worst].
Liz had a lazy-half smile on her face, her sea-green eyes seemed to be glowing.
"Why pray tell, is the hallway and both sets of stairs flooded? What did you do to annoy Miles and Michael this time?" I questioned with a raised eyebrow once I had gotten my feet back under me.
Trying not to shiver as the water got higher, nearing the tops of my jeans. I unwrapped my arm from Natalia's waist after she had wrapped her other arm around my waist so I could fish my phone from my pocket, put into my bag and hang it on a nearby hook.
There were hooks along the walls. It was a safe place to store your belongings when something like this happened, that way nothing would get wet. Just in time, it seemed as there was a SNAP from inside.
I winced and momentarily forgot about the rising water. I knew there was a waterproof shell had surrounded my bag when I heard a soft pop from above my head, that's when I noticed the dark thunder clouds starting to gather near the ceiling.
Oh, that's just wonderful. I looked at my apartment and saw several of the thunder clouds had ... gathered and seemed to be ... sulking in front of my door. If storm clouds could sulk.
[As it turns out, storm clouds can in fact sulk. They like my apartment for some strange reason and would gather to see if I would let them in. Often nudging the door until I have in. They were rather cute and only ever rained in the bathroom, on my planets and in the kitchen sink].
They seemly noticed I wasn't in my apartment and floated over. All five nudged my head making it stand on end. I sighed and nodded and was ... attacked by five, very fluffy and slightly wet storm clouds.
"I see you have ... acquired some pet storm clouds. I hope they're house trained," Liz observed, managing to keep a straight face for all of 30 seconds before she started laughing. I rolled my eyes and touched my hair. It no doubt looked like a red puffball.
One downside of having pet storm clouds.
"Yes Liz, they're house trained. Now answer the questioned," I quipped, putting my free hand on my hip. It was Washing Day resulting in an Indoor Storm which cleaned the hallways and walls. It happened once a week. Usually on a Friday.
It usually meant having to use an umbrella (or rainjacket), though there were times when it rained particularly hard, usually meaning I got to float around the hallways on Liz and Jack's coffee table which was always fun.
The first time I experienced an Indoor Storm I was understandably freaked out. I had only been there for around two weeks. The thunder and lightning had given me quite a scare as I wasn't been expecting it.
That was also the day I acquired my 'Pet Storm Clouds' as Liz likes to call them and met Myra, who had been delivering giant glass jars to the other occupants of my floor. I knew I should have kept the door shut but there was something fascinating about Myra and the waxy shine to her skin.
Flashback – Nine Months Ago
I couldn't help but stare at the women wearing a white flowing dress walking down the hall, knocking on each door, seemly not bothered by the rain. She had dark green, almost black hair, her pale skin had a waxy shine to it making me a little nervous for some unknown reason.
The women smiled when she saw and knocked on the door across the hall from mine. I wonder what the giant glass jars are for. I closed my door a little when a man opened the door across the hall and smiled brightly at the women.
He had light brown hair and bright green eyes and was wearing board shorts and no shirt. He took two of the giant glass jars and closed the door though not before bowing to me. I covered my mouth, trying not to squeak.
There was something not quite ... right about that man. [Even though I'm used to strange thing s happening. I can still tell when someone isn't ... human. I just don't play as much attention to it someone else might].
I swear, for a few seconds he had scales on his face and hands, but they were gone before I could be sure.
"You must be the new girl. Nice to finally meet you. I'm Myra. I would shake your hand, but my hands are full," Myra greeted as she walked over. I opened my door a little more and smiled nervously at her.
I got the impression the fact she was holding two giant jars (there were more stacked on a trolley she had been pushing) had nothing to do with her not being able to shake my hand and had everything to do with the waxy shine to her skin.
I somehow knew she wouldn't have been offended if I hadn't shaken her hand had she not been holding the two giant jars. I looked closer and realised there was a rune carved into the glass, which one I had no idea.
"Pleased to meet you. I'm Lia. What are those for?" I questioned, a little nervous, I wanted to tell her my name but found something stopping me, telling her one of my several nicknames instead.
Myra smiled knowingly, seemly knowing why I was nervous even though, I myself didn't know.
"They're for the rain. How else are you going to collect water when it rains like this? It happens at least once a week. If you need anything you can find me on the third floor in the Lily Apartment, have a good Ms Lia Rose," Myra answered placing the two giant glass jars on the ground and bowing and walked away, trolly in tow.
I stared after her confused. Why had she called me 'Ms Lia Rose'. I went to pick up the two giant glass jars when I saw Fairy Moss above the door across the hall and realised each apartment had a name. I stepped out of my apartment so I could see the name.
It took me a few seconds to realize I wasn't getting wet as I stared up at the black plark with the word 'Rose' written on it in elegant cursive. A blue, peach and pink rose on either side. I didn't think anything of it as I put on heavy glass jars down and went inside.
[I didn't realise at the time just how significant being in the Rose Apartments was. When I did find it was a shock but made quite a bit sense given everything I had discovered. It was a wonder I hadn't realised sooner].
End Flashback
I winced when I heard a strange, high pitched sound from inside Liz' apartment. I shivered, looking down I realised the water was past my waist and Natalia's arms and was getting higher, even though the water wasn't cold it wasn't exactly warm either.
"Jack? Are you alright?" I asked, having to yell to be heard over the rush of water. I grabbed the handle next to the door and wrapped my arm around Natalia's waist again as a giant wave of water crashed over us, sweeping me off my feet. Again.
I looked at Liz and saw she was staring at Natalia with a blank look on her face. I slipped my wrist into the handle and knocked on the door frame to get Liz' attention, she blinked and I raised my eyebrow and gestured to the water.
"Ah. Our sink is leaking. Miles did something to our tap the last time he was over and now we can't turn it off," Liz replied, holding out her hand. I let go of the handle and grabbed her hand, it was something I had done many times in the past nine months.
This wasn't the first time something like this happened.
Liz easily pulled me and Natalia into her apartment. It was decorated like a beach cabin, in blues, greens and sandy colours with wood, stone and seashells as ascents that looked a lot like the actual items rather than wood painted to look like those items.
I couldn't help but stare as the fishbowl floated past me, out the door and down the hall, it was hard to stop myself from laughing at the panicked look on the poor fishes face. It was like no fish I had ever seen and changed colour and shape every time I saw it.
Hopefully, the fish would be alright, one of our neighbours would likely grab him before he got to the lobby. I motioned for Natalia to climb onto the coffee table. Confirming my suspicion that it was actually made from driftwood. Coffee tables don't float.
[Unless, of course, they had a bouncy spell or rune carved into them].
Natalia was still staring me, the freaked out look on her face hadn't faded yet as she quickly climbed onto the coffee table. I had to stop myself from laughing, yet again as I imagined using the coffee table to 'surf' down the hallway and straight to the lobby.
It was something I had done before. Natalia's clothes and bag, to my surprise, were completely dry.
[I still don't know how I didn't put the clues together. Natalia wasn't exactly hiding that she wasn't normal. It might've had something to do with how accustomed I was too strange things happening around me so I never questioned it when strange things did happen].
"What's wrong with your friend? She looks a little faint," Jack questioned swimming into the living room from his and Liz bedroom. He had a sea glass bracelet around his wrist. Natalia looked terrified.
Jack was right to worry, Natalia did look like she was going to faint which wouldn't exactly be ideal at the moment. At least she was on the coffee table.
[We weren't so lucky the next Natalia visited me, that time she wasn't quite so scared. That day had certainly been an adventure, but that's a story for another time. I still don't know how she ended up with multi-coloured hair. She never touched the walls].
"Maybe it would be best if she stayed in my apartment until I've turned the tap off and the flood is under control and we find where the fish has floated off too," I suggested, Jack nodded, the corner of his mouth twitching as he tried not to laugh.
I easily jumped onto the coffee table as Jack and Liz pushed us out of their apartment and over to mine. I opened the door, it had closed when after I knocked on Liz and Jack's apartment door and helped Natalia into my apartment.
I don't think I will ever understand how the water shield worked but I was thankful as it stopped my apartment from being flooded. A bit of water splashed onto the floor. Natalia closed the door after I reassured her I wouldn't be more than 20 or so minutes.
I laughed when Liz and Jack ferried me back to their apartment. They grinned at my excited shout when the coffee spun once it was inside their apartment. Liz stayed by the door to stop their belongs from ending up in the hallway while Jack pushed me into the kitchen.
Liz looked a lot like a hockey player stopping a puck from going into the net. The 'puck' in this case where different pieces of furniture, silverware (I still don't know how it was floating), plates, books and strangely enough a plant growing in an overly large teacup.
The 'net' was the hallway. It was a little backwards and really shouldn't have been funny and yet I found myself laughing. I was slightly sleep-deprived thanks to a massive assignment I had to complete.
Jack pushed me into the kitchen shaking his head. I easily turned the tap off much to his shock. I just grinned. Liz and Jack had told me I was a marical worker on several occasions. I didn't believe them.
I floated back into the living, very likely looking like a complete idiot with how big my grin was.
"To collect the fish," I yelled dramatically pointing at the door unable to help myself. Jack and Liz grinned at each other before starting to laugh at my dramatics. Jack pushed me into the hallway as Liz drew some sort of shimmering net over the doorway.
It stopped their belongings from ending up in the hallway. The water, strangely enough, didnt' fill the stairs completely, in fact, it looked a lot like a river of sorts and acted much like an elevator. Liz moved in front of the coffee table.
I sat down on the coffee table and grabbed onto her shoulders so I wouldn't slide off the coffee table and into the water. Some of the tenants whose doors were open shook their heads when they aw Liz and Jack pushing me around on the coffee table.
The first time this had happened I had expected them to give me strange looks but they just grinned and shook their heads, telling me to be careful.
Apparently being pushed around on coffee table made of drift in above shoulder-high water looking for a fishbowl was completely normal and not at all strange and something I very much enjoyed.
The stairs at the end of the fourth floor carried us down to the third floor. I always joked about having a "Water Lift" whenever it flooded like this. Jack and Liz would share a knowing look leaving me to wonder if what I was joking about was actually possible.
As far as I knew it wasn't normal for water in a flooded stairway to turn into a river and carry people and coffee tables (and any other floatation device) up and down said stairs, they usually flooded completely.
[I later found out "Water Lifts" was exactly what they were. Jack and Liz asked me how I had known, I just shrugged. I just knew things sometimes. I never knew the reason why until Macy disastrous visit].
Jack and Liz dropped me off at my apartment after we had found the fish. Natalia stared at me in open mouth shock from the kitchen counter when the door opened by itself and I easily jumped off the coffee table, landing inside my apartment with falling.
I put my hands in the wall of water to wash them off before saying bye to Liz and Jack and closing the door.
"That was fun. There's quite a bit more water than usual. Haven't had to retrieve the fish in at least three months. The water'll go down in a few hours. If not Jack will give us a lift to the lobby on the coffee table when we're ready to go," I observed.
I grabbed a towel from the hook next to the door and dried my hair after I had undone the two plates and ponytail on the right side of my head and pulled out the blue and grey flower frilled headpiece.
I flipped my hair upside down making it easier to dry. I had to stand up a little to stop the wet ends from brushing the floor. My neck was starting to hurt, it lessened a little when I flipped my head up, some of my hair sticking to face.
I brushed my hair out of my face and grabbed the push sitting on the table under the hook and started to brush it wincing a little when the brush caught a few of the knots. It was going to take the better part of two or so hours for my hair to dry given how thick it was.
Despite that, I still braided it as it was incredibly uncomfortable to have wet hair sticking to my neck. Natalia was staring at me and I blushed realising this was the first time in close to five months she had seen me with my hair down.
I looped my braid around my head twice creating a crown, using several bobby pins to secure it in place that way the end of my braid brushing against my thigh.
Some of the colour had returned to Natalia's face, she was still worryingly pale. A cup of tea would do her some good. It would probably be best if we left once she calmed down. I had only intended to make a shortstop, 15 minutes at the most.
"Y-you do that every week?" Natalia questioned shakily as I made her tea with a little milk and honey. My apartment was just the right size, not overly big and not too small. It was comfortable and I knew where everything was.
"Not every week. Maybe two or three times a month. The water hasn't been that high in a while. The indoor thunderstorm is making the flooding worse. It's rare that it gets that high but it does happen," I answered turning to pass Natalia her tea.
Natalia stared at me as thunder cracked outside. I know I should have been freaked out by the strange things going on but I had gotten used to it, besides it kept things interesting. I walked into my room and quickly packed my bag for a week.
I dumped my bag next to the door and helped Natalia set up the device she had brought for the honey. Natalia still looked a little rattled and kept staring at me when she thought I wasn't looking like she hadn't known me for the last 5 months.
I knew it was probably the best if Natalia calmed down before I asked Jack to take us to the lobby. [I eventually found out why she was so freaked out. It was perfectly understandable].
I check my 'Apartment Map' while I waited for Natalia to calm down, noting a few new doors, one of them belonged to the man who had found the fish. I was planning on visiting him later, preferably when I could get down to the third floor without using Jack and Liz coffee table.
"Ready to go? Good. Jack, can you take us to the lobby?" I asked before opening the door and yelling across the hall to be heard over the thunder. It wasn't raining. Natalia nodded wearily, Liz was still retrying to stop their belongings from leaving their apartment.
The fishbowl slipped through. I laughed when Liz dived after the fishbowl once Jack had taken her place at the door, she missed the bowl by meer inches. I caught the edge of the fishbowl trying not to laugh at the freaked out look on the fishes face.
"I'll leave you here, that way you won't end up on the third floor again," I commented before lifting the fishbowl into a wireframe I had for the basket. The fishbowl wasn't the strangest thing I had sitting in that frame.
[At one point I had Liz and Jack's coffee table tethered to that wireframe after the hallway had flooded because of a heavy indoor thunderstorm that had lasted for close to two weeks, the coffee table was the only way I could get too and from my apartment].
The trip to the lobby was fun. For me. Not so much for Natalia. I was kneeling on the table, Natalia sitting behind me, her arms wrapped around my waist. Natalia wasn't looking at Jack. I trying not to scream when Jack sped up when he went down the stairs.
It really was like water slid, only this slid went both ways. it
The stairs in the lobby had the same sort of barrier; preventing the water from flooding the lobby though they sometimes failed in the blood was really bad. That exact thing had happened a month and a half after I moved in.
It was clear Jack and Liz loved each other, even though they fought over the strangest things every other week. [I didn't think it was so strange after I found out why they were fighting]. It was something I had gotten used to.
If I wasn't woken my Jack yelling at Liz to get up, it either meant Liz had spent the night with a friend (it had happened a few times), I was far more exhausted than I thought or I had woken up earlier then Jack.
There were rare occasions where Liz woke up on time and had to yell at Jack to get up at 6:35 in the morning. On a Sunday. Far too early for most people, I had tried to ignore it and go back to sleep at first.
I eventually gave up and started my day though I really didn't want to get up.
Flashback
"LIZ, GET UP. YOU'RE GOING TO BE LATE," a loud voice yelled from across the hall. I groaned and rolled over, using the pillow to cover my head when I heard a loud crash and an animal yelping.
I lifted the pillow just enough to look at my clock and groaned when I saw it was 6:30 on a Sunday morning. My alarm clock had gone off early. Who on earth was up this early on Saturday?
Liz and Jack apparently.
I had only been here for about six weeks and still hadn't gotten used to being woken up this early in the morning. I usually didn't wake up until 7 o'clock before I moved here. I wanted to go back to sleep but knew by now I wouldn't be getting back to sleep.
I reached and snagged my phone from the bedside table and opened the Audible App, plugged in my earphones and started to listen to the first book in the Lady Darkling Series, yet again. It was by far the funniest.
I may not want to be awake this early as it was far too cold to get out of bed. I had developed a habit of listening to an audiobook for around 30 minutes each morning while I waited for my apartment to warm-up enough for me to even consider getting out of bed.
End Flashback
Living here had taken some getting used to, it was something I had greatly enjoyed. I didn't want to leave but knew I would have to sit up at some point. I just hope it's not any time soon as I do love it here despite how strange things can get at times.
To begin with, I had been annoyed at being woken so early. I had eventually adapted to having my own personal alarm who I was on relatively good terms with and was more than happy to feed me if I ever ran out of food.
It didn't happen all that often.
"I have to back before 7:30 on Friday, it's when I usually have my bi-weekly dinner with Liz and Jack. I need to tell Eitri, my Land Lord where I'm going to be for the next week," I explained as I pulled Natalia from the floor.
Her legs had given out as soon as she got off the table.
The freaked out look on her face hadn't yet faded. I knew she wanted to yell 'you have dinner with them'. I had no idea why she was so freaked out at the fact I had dinner once a fortnight on a Friday with my neighbours.
[I may have been a little addicted to Jack's cooking. They always cooked separate food for me, I had felt guilty about the trouble Jack had tog go but was more than glad they were willing to the effort for me when I found out what they were later].
"You are either very brave or incredibly stupid. How does this not freak you out?" Natalia questioned as I lead her to Eitri's office, she had calmed down a little though not by much and likely wouldn't for quite some time even after we got her house.
It usually took people a few weeks to completely calm down and reassure themselves they were safe. It was a completely normal reaction as some of the people who lived here were a little strange. I never treated them any different because of that.
"I'm used to it. It was difficult at first. I soon got used to it. Hey, Eitri. Michael and Mitch flood upstairs again. I'm staying with Nat for the week. I need a break from this madhouse," I reported dutifully reported trying to keep a straight face and not smile as Eitri shook his head.
"Thank you, Ms Rose. I'll deal with them. I'll let Liz and Jack know you'll be away for the week. Every time you leave something bad happens. Don't know if that's a good thing or not. Don't stay away too long," Eitri replied, I nodded and pulled Natalia too her house.
Natalia started to calm down a little after we walked through her front door, very clearly relieved to have left my apartment complex. I couldn't help but stare at the mansion across the street. It belonged to Natalia's friend Lila
[I eventually found out the mansion was not only sentient but magical.
Now that I think about it, we were both dragged into the magical and supernatural world by complete chance. Lila brought a house that just happened to not only be sentient but magical, I moved into an apartment that was owned and housed the mythical and supernatural.
Not that I knew where I was living was dangerous for a little 10 months, that was before I was pressured into letting my brother and sister with me for two weeks. They, of course, didn't end up staying for the full two weeks thanks to Macy, but that was okay].
Natalia's house was a perfect mix of old and new though there were a strange collection of bottles, glass jars and plastic bottles lined against one of the walls and in the kitchen.
The steaming pot on the stove smelled like cinnamon sticky and peppermint candy and sugar, it was a wonder it hadn't burned yet. Crystals were dotted everywhere, acting as a light source instead of normal lights.
Runes on the wall in place of light switches. There was symbol carved into the door and window sills. I had no idea what they were for. My room when I was here was wonderful if not a little strange.
Every time I wanted the light on, the crystals would slowly brighten, giving off a soft light that wasn't too dark or too bright. I really wish I had lights like this in my apartment. It was wonderful and maybe a little strange not being woken up by Jack and Liz yelling at each other.
Even though the week with Natalia was wonderful and something I had very badly needed, it was nice to be back in my apartment with all of its strange quirks and habits.
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Finally done, this took far longer then I thought it would due to my work and the cutting machine (thermo film cutter) wasn't working properly. It was frustrating and annoying because I had to redo a design for a man after I had already cut out of the designs.
It took at least 4 or 5 hours of fiddling around with that particular design as well as having to fiddle around with another design. It took even longer because my father who usually does the thermo is currently in Mackay so he has to run me through it over the phone.
I've done this about four or five times so far and it never gets any easier. Anyway enough about me ranting about my Real World Problem. I hope you enjoyed the second part of the Prologue. I have chapter 1 written and am in the process of writing chapter 2.
It's taking me so long to get this up is because I've handwritten everything and need to copy it onto my computer which takes a lot longer than expected as I don't always feel like transfer something onto my computer. I will try and have them up soon.
Thank you again for reading, please tell what you like the most about this chapter. Don't forget to vote.
Puff Ball: What happens to my hair if I sleep with it in a braid, resulting in my hair standing on end and making me look like a puffball.
This is what the back of Marlia's hairstyle looks like: